Fast, easy and cheesy chicken enchilada casserole has all your favorite flavors, but no rolling and stuffing–just stack and bake. It doesn’t get much simpler or much more delicious!

I never realized my Mexican food obsession was even a thing for most of my life. I live in Arizona. Mexican food is basically just food. Not to mention that most Mexican dishes include my favorite food group: CHEESE!

Did I ever tell you about in my “before” days I would go out to eat and then when I’d get full, I would pick all of the cheese off of my dish and leave the rest? I’m pretty sure it was something like #20 in this article. PS: I laughed out loud for so long. Maybe my favorite BuzzFeed article ever?

Anyway, I love enchiladas, but every time I make them, the rolling takes me forevvveeerrrrr, and then they never stay, and I just end up eating a mess of enchilada filling rather than actual enchiladas. So this time I took a different approach and stacked it all up. It stayed together perfectly. I don’t know if I will ever make regular enchiladas again.

This is like you ordered enchiladas, then mixed your whole plate of enchiladas and beans together making it even more awesome, and with practically no work!

In a medium bowl combine shredded chicken with 2 cups enchilada sauce. Line the bottom of prepared 9" pan with 3 tortillas, then add half the beans and half the chicken and enchilada sauce mixture. Repeat with remaining tortillas, beans and chicken. Add remaining ½ cup enchilada sauce on top, then top with shredded cheese.

Bake until cheese is bubbly, about 20 minutes. Top with fresh cilantro and green onions if desired. Serve immediately. Leftovers may be refrigerated in an airtight container for 5-7 days.

I think the happiest day of my life was the day Chipotle started serving brown rice. Maybe you think that makes me a total freak? But if that’s true, you clearly don’t understand my love for Mexican food. I mean, I live in Phoenix. Mexican food is more common than hamburgers.

I’ve always been all about the cheese enchiladas. And quesedillas. Pretty much anything with cheese is sure to be a winner in my book. Did I ever tell you about how when I was younger I would “snack” on blocks of cheddar cheese? In fact, just this morning, I told Steve that cheese was my favorite food group.

I’m pretty sure the abundance of cheese is what fuels my love for Mexican food, which is why it’s often difficult for me to find healthy options. No matter what I say, I cannot convince myself that 11 servings of cheese is “healthy”. It’s really sad. If you can help convince me, I would greatly appreciate it. 😉

Luckily, this dip has the perfect amount of cheesy goodness, but with a lighter touch. Most of the creaminess comes from nonfat plain Greek yogurt and the avocado–the avocado is like my secret weapon. I put it in on a whim, and it ended up totally making the dish! It’s like if you took an enchilada and stuffed it with guacamole–I mean, HOW COULD THAT BE BAD???

This dip is super simple with only a handful of ingredients, and it comes together in minutes. It’s perfect for any party or get together, and the bold flavors and creamy texture are sure to be a hit with whoever you’re serving!

Do you guys do anything to celebrate Cinco De Mayo? My plan usually includes eating Mexican food, drinking margaritas, and apparently, wearing a mustache. You’ll have to check out the video to understand that one. Nicole and I were in a rare form of ridiculousness this episode.

Combine chicken, goat cheese, yogurt, enchilada sauce and avocado in a medium pan over medium heat. Stir constantly until all ingredients are melted and combined.

Transfer to your serving dish (make sure it's oven safe) and top with cheddar cheese (I used about 1/3 cup). Broil until cheese is browned and bubbly.

Top with olives and onion if desired. Serve with chips or veggies.

Notes

*I usually use a reduced fat cheddar cheese, but it doesn't melt quite the same. For photos, I used full fat. If you're concerned about appearance, I would encourage a full fat cheese, but if you're purely concerned with taste, reduced fat will still taste great!

For years, I have been buying enchilada sauce. Always green, although for years I was totally weirded out by green sauce. It was green, so obviously it was gross. Like vegetables, ew. Except now I am totally obsessed with almost all vegetables, and if offered the chance to be healthy, and never eat them, I would not accept.

Anyway, my college roomie/bestie Heather always made amazing enchiladas, and I stole her recipe and started making them all the time. Always with tons of bold and spicy green sauce.

I always kind of assumed that the sauce must be healthy because, well, it’s green–how bad could it be? I mean, the store bought kind isn’t terrible, but it totally includes all those things I can’t pronounce, which sucks, and it’s expensive! In fact, I made a quart and a half for probably about the amount I’d spend on one can at the grocery store!

It’s also incredibly easy. Like, ridiculous easy. I think it took me about 30 minutes start to finish, but that includes about 20 minutes of veggie roasting time in which I got important life things done, like emptying the dishwasher. Uggghhh, I HATE emptying the dishwasher. I have to do it while cookies are chilling, or food is in the oven so that I trick myself into believing it’s part of that task, not it’s own crappy task.

The sauce came out bold, slightly spicy (you can easily adjust the spice by adding extra chiles), and fantastically thick. I hate runny sauces. I feel like I can never soak them up and get the full flavor, but this is thick, almost like a well blended salsa. In fact, I could easily just eat it with a spoon.

I know it’s barely April, but Cinco de Mayo will be here before you know it, and trust me, you don’t want to buy the canned stuff at the last minute. This stuff will keep in the fridge for at least 2 weeks (that’s how long mine’s been going strong), or you can freeze it for much longer. I made a huge batch, so I will have my own on hand for a very long time.

2 jalapenos, stems removed (seeds and ribs are optional depending on how spicy you like it)

1 lime

1/2 bunch cilantro

Heavy pinch sea salt

Pinch black pepper

1 tbsp ground cumin

Instructions

Place tomatillos, chiles, onion, garlic and jalapeno in a large baking dish. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and broil until tender and lightly charred, about 15-20 minutes. Keep an eye on it--if onion and garlic begin to cook faster, remove them first.

Transfer your cooked ingredients to your food processor or blender. Zest the lime into the mixture, then add the juice. Add cilantro and remaining seasonings and blend until well combined, about 30 seconds. Store in an airtight container refrigerated for 2 weeks, or freeze for months.